General courses – open to students in all schools and departments
Our pre-sessional courses are split into 10-week blocks (apart from the shorter courses in the summer). If you need to study with us for 40 weeks, you will therefore study pre-sessional levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. If your current level of English and the required level for your degree programme allow you to take a shorter pre-sessional course, you will study a reduced number of pre-sessional levels.
Your degree course requires IELTS 6.0 (with no score lower than 5.5)
IELTS scores
| Your current IELTS score | Course length needed | Level of pre-sessional course you need |
|---|
| Overall |
No score lower than |
| 4.0 |
4.0 |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 4.5 |
4.0 |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 4.5 |
4.0 (with 4.5 in writing) |
30 weeks |
2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.0 |
4.5 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 5.0 |
5.0 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 5.5 |
5.0 |
10 weeks |
4 |
| 5.5 |
5.5 |
10, 8 or 6 weeks |
4 |
| 6.0 |
5.0 (with 5.5 in writing) |
8 or 6 weeks |
4 |
Find out more about our pre-sessional English courses
Your degree course requires IELTS 6.5 (with no score lower than 6.0)
IELTS scores
| Your current IELTS score | Course length needed | Level of pre-sessional course you need |
|---|
| Overall |
No score lower than |
| 4.0 |
4.0 |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 4.5 |
4.0 |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 4.5 |
4.0 (with 4.5 in writing) |
30 weeks |
2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.0 |
4.5 |
30 weeks |
2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.0 |
5.0 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 5.5 |
5.0 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 5.5 |
5.5 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 6.0 |
5.0 (with 5.5 in writing) |
10 weeks |
4 |
| 6.0 |
5.5 (with 6.0 in writing) |
8 or 6 weeks |
4 or specialist course |
| 6.0 |
6.0 |
8 or 6 weeks |
4 or specialist course |
Your degree course requires IELTS 6.5 (6.5 in writing and reading, 6.0 in speaking and listening)
IELTS scores
| Your current IELTS score | Course length needed | Level of pre-sessional course you need |
|---|
| Overall |
No score lower than |
| 4.0 |
4.0 and below |
Not eligible to study |
| 4.5 |
4.5 reading and writing, 4.0 listening and speaking |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.0 |
5.0 reading and writing, 4.5 listening and speaking |
30 weeks |
2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.5 |
5.5 reading and writing, 5.0 listening and speaking |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 6.0 |
6.0 reading and writing, 5.5 listening and speaking |
10 weeks |
4 |
Find out more about our pre-sessional English courses
Your degree course requires IELTS 7.0 (with no score lower than 6.0 or 6.5)
IELTS scores
| Your current IELTS score | Course length needed | Level of pre-sessional course you need |
|---|
| Overall |
No score lower than |
| 4.5 and below |
4.0 and below |
Not eligible to study |
| 5.5 |
5.0 |
40 weeks |
1, 2, 3 and 4 |
| 5.5 |
5.5 |
30 weeks |
2, 3 and 4 |
| 6.0 |
5.0 (with 5.5 in writing) |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 6.0 |
5.5 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 6.0 |
6.0 |
20 weeks |
3 and 4 |
| 6.5 |
6.0 |
10 weeks |
4 |
| 6.5 |
6.0 (with 6.5 in reading and writing) |
8 or 6 weeks |
4 or specialist course |
| 6.5 |
6.5 |
8 or 6 weeks |
4 or specialist course |
Find out more about our pre-sessional English courses
Specialist courses
We also offer specialist courses for those with offers for specific degree subjects. Please refer to the tables above to check requirements based on target scores to see if you can take a specialist course.
You have an offer to study an undergraduate or postgraduate business degree
We offer a six-week course for students holding an offer for an undergraduate or postgraduate business programme, which has been designed in collaboration with the Nottingham University Business School.
Please refer to the tables above to check requirements based on target scores (6.5 or 7.0) required for your business degree.
When applying for the six-week business and management course, please select CELE 6 Week Preparatory English (on campus).
If your application is successful, you will be placed on the business and management course. Please note that in the event that the number of students recruited to this course is low, we may not be able to run it. We will inform you and provide more information at the earliest opportunity.
Find out more about our specialist courses
You have an offer to study an undergraduate or postgraduate education degree
We offer a six-week course for students holding an offer for an undergraduate or postgraduate education programme, which has been designed in collaboration with the School of Education.
Please refer to the tables above to check requirements based on target scores (6.5 or 7.0) required for your education degree.
When applying for the six-week education course, please select CELE 6 Week Preparatory English (on campus).
If your application is successful, you will be placed on the education course. Please note that in the event that the number of students recruited to this course is low, we may not be able to run it. We will inform you and provide more information at the earliest opportunity.
Find out more about our specialist courses
Find out more about our specialist courses
Academic Skills Induction Programme
We also offer an intensive three-week Academic Skills Induction for international students who met the English language condition of their University of Nottingham academic offer, hold an unconditional offer from the university, and have already obtained their Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS).
Find out more about our Academic Skills Induction programme